1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for transmitting wallets between mobile devices, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for transmitting payment and non-payment information, which are provided through various wallet applications, from one mobile device to another mobile device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the popularity of mobile devices, such as a smart phone, which carry out data communication, the needs of mobile device users who want to introduce various kinds of information into a mobile device are gradually increasing. In order to satisfy one of the needs of the mobile device users, a plurality of mobile electronic wallets (hereinafter, referred to as “wallets” or “wallet applications”) are provided and used, in which membership cards, coupons, tickets, and mileages, as well as credit cards which are a payment means used in a commercial transaction online and offline, are allowed to be used in a mobile device not in a real form but in data form.
The wallets are provided in the application form on the mobile device. A provider of a wallet application may invite member stores which provide a mobile wallet service through a wallet, and the member stores may provide information on a membership, a coupon, mileage, and the like, which are related to services provided thereby, through the wallet to a user of the mobile device. Further, a credit card company may provide payment information in the form of a mobile credit card to a user through a contract with a wallet application provider. The user may use the wallet application in the member store to pay for goods by means of the mobile credit card.
However, the serviced wallets are made based on different formats from one another, and they cannot share data therebetween. Each member store must provide a service through different wallet applications due to competition for securing member stores between wallet providers. Accordingly, the user of the mobile device is required to install plural wallet applications and use a different wallet application in each member store.
Especially, in a case that wallet data such as a coupon stored in the mobile device is intended to be transmitted to another mobile device, a wallet application capable of providing the corresponding wallet data is required to be installed in a mobile device of a reception side. Therefore, even though a user of the mobile device already uses a wallet application, there is inconvenience in that a new wallet application is required to be installed and managed in order to receive and use wallet data from another mobile device.